We're using Centercode for our testing platform. Many people think of these as simply a place to test software and hardware. While we definitely are using Centercode for that, you'll also have the opportunity to test other areas of the Threshold Care experience. Test opportunities here will range from early stage (such as alpha software) to later stage or even post-release feedback depending on what we're working on. The majority of our testing is going to involve projects that are not available to the public and will require a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for participation.
Our company exists to be a resource for you on your caretaking journey. We value your feedback and appreciate you taking the time and energy to help guide us on our path to being the best company we can be for the needs of our customers.
Here's how our testing works so we can all be on the same page:
A Project is the central hub for a test. If you are accepted into a Project, you will then gain access to all of the testing materials, content, and resources for participating in the test. Communication about your Project should exclusively happen within the Project unless specified otherwise. Please keep in mind that most Projects are closed and secret to protect the company and other testers. Make sure you keep your login information safe and different from what you use for other websites. And unless you receive specific permission from a Threshold Care employee, please follow the instructions within your NDA regarding disclosure of information.
The Threshold Care Tester Pool is technically a Project by platform definitions, but it is intended to collect the information required for us to select testers and doesn't have the engagement and enabled features of other Projects.
Surveys in Centercode are incredibly powerful. With great power, comes great responsibility. We try to only use Surveys to collect information that we won't receive through the other features of the platform. We use Surveys for things like your Tester Application in the Threshold Care Tester Pool, the Confirmation Survey when you are invited to a Project that verifies your availability and that you can fulfill the necessary requirements, the Final Survey at the end of a Project, or important questions need a lot of quick responses and/or information that may not be visible in submitted Feedback.
Our Projects are split into sections called Phases. These are bite-sized sections that are usually scheduled to run about a week that give a specific set of Features and Activities to work through and provide feedback on during that week. We respect your time and understand that testing can be overwhelming for both you and employees if we don't balance things properly. If you want a preview for what you're going to be testing in each Phase and how long the Phase is scheduled for, you can check that on your Project Homepage. We sometimes may need to extend the duration of a Phase or add new Phases into an existing test. This depends on:
In many cases, we'll extend the already active test. However, there will be some cases where a new cohort of testers is more appropriate for the needs of the test.
Features are the product areas and experiences that are your main focus for each Phase. Most Features relate to a specific Phase, but some are considered "Regression Features" that are an ongoing priority. Connectivity for hardware is a great example of this.
All Features have Activities that are the assignments for testing the Feature. When you begin a Project, you will be expected to perform the "New User Feature" Activities before you can complete Activities assigned to a Phase. These Activities include tasks such as reading important documents, doing an unboxing, or completing the setup process.
Many Activities are clearly defined so we have a standardized process to remove variables. Some Activities are more freeform. You are always encouraged to test a Feature beyond the Activity once you have completed the Activity. You can consider the Activity as the minimum assignment to be considered as having tested the feature. It's possible that you could surface other areas of improvement or things that you enjoy with a Feature by going beyond your Activity and we want to hear about it!
When you have completed your Activity, you will usually be asked to complete a Feature Survey that typically means you'll provide a satisfaction score for that feature using a star rating from 1 - 5 stars. You can change your score at any time during the Phase, but you cannot alter your answer once the Phase ends and it gets locked in. You may want to review your submissions at the end of each Phase to make sure you still agree with your answers.
We're going to ask for further information about your experience testing a Feature. This is known as Feedback. There is an automated request that is tied to the satisfaction score, but you are always encouraged to fill out more at any point during the test. Unlike the Feature Survey, you can submit Feedback for a Feature that was tested in a previous Phase or will be coming up in a future Phase.
Your Project will have different Feedback Types that you can choose from based on your goal:
Great feedback is as clear and detailed as possible because it ensures we have all the information we need to take action. Each Feedback Type will have a form to help guide you, but you're the only one who knows all the details about what you want to share. Please don't worry about hurting our feelings by pointing out areas of improvement, we need to hear about things and have a true understanding of your experience! But make sure you're also being constructive. We understand that frustration can make things tough and want to help. If you're mean to us or other testers, no one has fun and we may need to remove you from the Project. ☹️
Ted is an AI included in Centercode. His settings are pretty standard across Centercode platforms, and there isn't a whole lot we can change with him to customize the experience. He can be a bit intimidating with the emails he sends (Phases ending, missing Activities, etc.), especially when people are still waiting to receive their packages. The tricky part is that he makes an incredible difference for keeping folks active and progressing at the right pace, so we are making the decision to use that feature for our Projects. Ted Adams isn't connected to shipping information, so he doesn't have the ability to hold messages until people receive hardware. Please keep in mind that Ted isn't a Threshold Care employee and can't accommodate information you've shared with employees through Feedback and other means.
Our test is all about teamwork! The Project Managers, Developers, and Testers are all together in the mission of making our tests productive and enjoyable. If you're in a Project, you already know that you have interests in common with everyone else! These tests are most effective when people communicate with each other. Ask questions, review other testers' feedback, hit the Vote button for Feedback you agree with, and join in discussions. All of this will help make your Project data more valuable and helpful for Threshold Care (no, really, there are algorithms that adjust Project scores based on engagement and frequency of submissions, so your engagement with other testers has a direct impact on what we see).
We're chuffed that you took the time to read (or at least skim) through this document. We promise that the information here will make it easier for you to start testing when you join a Project. But beyond that, the fact that you're here at all is encouraging to us as passionate employees running a startup. Thank you for being part of our team.